La Grande’s June blood draw brings in a record-breaking 261 units of blood
By Garrett Christensen on Friday, June 21st, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – La Grande’s June community blood draw has come to an overwhelmingly successful close. Over the course of two six-hour days, June 18 and 19, the La Grande community came together to donate 261 units of blood, exceeding the March draw results by 18 units.
Of course, such an achievement wouldn’t be possible without the generosity and dedication of the La Grande community, both the donors that regularly give blood and the venerable army of volunteers that keep the draws running smoothly. On that note, give a warm welcome to La Grande’s newest blood draw volunteers:
- Linda Gleeson
- Jennifer Williams
- Jane Wentzel
- Penny Waite
- Mark Gish
La Grande’s community blood draw coordinators, Linda and Sheldon Strand, can’t emphasize enough just how essential community support is. Donors and volunteers alike are what allow La Grande’s blood draws to continuously increase in scale and provide essential relief to the ongoing national blood shortage.
In 2023 alone, La Grande’s blood draws brought in 1239 units over the course of 5 2-day drives. The Strands plan to keep this momentum going too, with this year’s September blood drive having a goal of no less than 300 units. Such a goal is feasible given the community’s growing propensity to donate. According to the Strands, there are some 350 frequent donors in La Grande that regularly participate in the community draws
The specific schedule for La Grande’s upcoming September draw is as follows:
La Grande:
- Tuesday September, June 17
- 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- 1802 Gekeler Lane, La Grande.
- Wednesday, September 18.
- 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- 1802 Gekeler Lane, La Grande.
Draws are also scheduled for later this year for Baker City and Enterprise:
Baker City
- Monday, August 26
- 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- 2625 Hughes Ln, Baker City.
- Tuesday, August 27
- 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- 2625 Hughes Ln, Baker City.
- Monday, November 4
- 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- 2625 Hughes Ln, Baker City.
- Tuesday, November 5
- 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- 2625 Hughes Ln, Baker City.
Enterprise
- Wednesday, August 21
- 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Cloverleaf Hall.
- 600 NW 1st Street Enterprise, OR 97828.
With the national blood shortage still ongoing, every donation counts. Appointments for draws can be made online at https://www.redcrossblood.org/.
